The present invention relates generally to tie-down assemblies that enable a transportable item to be secured on a trailer. In particular, the present invention relates to a retractable tie-down assembly for use in securing the transom of a boat to a trailer.
It is well known that in order to transport a boat on a trailer from one location to another safely, the boat must be secured to the trailer with a plurality of tie-down straps. The number of tie-down straps required generally depends upon the size and the type of boat to be hauled by the trailer. In the case of a conventional speedboat, there is usually required two transom tie-down straps, two bow tie-down straps and a single gunwale tie-down which usually extends completely over the width of the boat. While it is clear that the various tie-downs must be sufficiently tight to hold the boat on the trailer, over-tightening of the tie-down assemblies can cause damage to a boat because the excessive force of the tie-down places a relatively high localized stress on various parts of the boat.
In prior art tie-down assemblies, each tie-down strap usually has a hook at each end and some means for adjusting the length of the strap that is disposed between the two ends. In the case of the transom and bow tie-downs, the hook at one end of the tie-down strap is hooked into an eyebolt on the trailer while the hook at the other end of the tie-down strap is hooked into an eyebolt protruding from either the bow or the transom of the speedboat. The means for adjusting is often a buckle tightening device disposed between the ends of the strap. After the ends of the strap are secured to the boat and trailer, the buckle is turned over the center of the strap to further tighten the tie-down strap by a predetermined amount, which depends on the size of the buckle. Because the buckle always takes out a predetermined amount of slack from the strap, the tie-down strap will either remain insufficiently tight after the buckle is thrown or overtight which can cause damage to the boat. Another drawback of prior art tie-down assembly straps is the fact that the straps must be stored while the boat is in use. Of course the result being that one or more of the tie-down straps could be misplaced or otherwise lost while the boat is off the trailer and in use.
What is needed is a tie-down assembly which remains fastened to the trailer at all times and which has greater adjustability for tightening the strap than in prior art devices in order to prevent damage to the boat being carried by the trailer.